Online Angel
by HeatofDestiel
Summary: Dean has few pleasures left in his life once he drops out of school, his favorite activity just happens to be looking up art on the internet. Where he meets Castiel, the boy who will single handedly make or break Dean Winchesters heart.


*******I have posted this on Archive but chose to post it here also, please read and recommend to your friends!*******

Dean Winchester had many hard times during his days; from making sure his brother, Sam got off to school, making sure his Dad wasn't off wandering the neighborhood in his deteriorating mental health and getting himself to his job at his uncles car garage on time. Dean dropped out of school last year when the doctors diagnosed his father with some too long to pronounce disease that basically turns his mind to crap. He didn't mind leaving the high school, it just put things into perspective when he found his father huddled in the snow at 4am yelling about some demon with yellow eyes. As badly as Dean wanted to cry he didn't he simply grabbed a blanket and wrapped his freezing father up before taking him inside beside the fire. It had fallen upon 16 year old Dean to care for his family and his only escape came from booting up his hand-me down laptop from Uncle Bobby.

Once Dean logged on he was free from his responsibilities for a few hours at night and god did he enjoy it. He had joined a few sites to browse art, something he had desperately wanted to go into but gave up once he quit school, he also browsed a few music sites, clicked on music videos for a few old rock bands. He loved sitting and sorting through art for hours, mostly on the Angel tag, the ways people expressed their views of Angels was amazing to Dean who held little to no faith in God but believed Angels were the most heavenly creatures to ever be thought into existence.

Some nights, much like tonight he commented on **CNOV'**s most recent work of the angel Gabriel who for some reason had a lollipop in his mouth and candy stuffed out of his pockets. What happened for the first time was that the little envelope at the top right hand corner of Dean's screen blinked red with a loud pop emitting from the computer speakers. It caught Dean off guard but he clicked it anyway to open it.

**CNOV:** Hello Dean, thank you for your comment.

The green eyes stared at the message for 5 minutes, his tongue darting over his lips and hand finding his chin, rubbing it unconsciously. No one ever spoke to Dean online, he would give a comment here or there but no one ever spoke to him. Ever. After staring and overanalyzing the message, searching for any sense of sarcasm or hate Dean deemed it suitable for him to reply.

**BatmansImpala**: No problem man, love your art.

Dean smiled smugly for his ability to handle the situation so well. He stood up and stretched, planning to head for the warmth of his bed when his computer let out that sound again. Sitting back down his eyes scanned over the new message.

**CNOV**: How has your day gone?

Now Dean was heavily confused, why was this stranger trying to have a conversation with him? Glancing at the clock Dean concluded that since it was only 9:30, he could stay up a little bit and talk to **CNOV**.

**BatmansImpala**: It was pretty good for a Monday, went to work, made dinner, ya know the usual. How about you man?

**CNOV**: My day went well. I woke up, went to school, did my classwork, ate dinner with my family, showered and am now speaking with you. I am Castiel, by the way.

**BatmansImpala**: Castiel? Interesting name

**CNOV**: Yes I am aware. It is the name for the Angel of Thursday.

**BatmansImpala**: Boy, your folks must be real bible thumpers to give a kid that name.

**CNOV**: Bible thumpers? I assure you my parents do nothing of the sort.

**BatmansImpala**: No man I mean your folks must be really religious, into the whole 'God my savior' bit and all.

**CNOV**: Oh, well yes. All of my siblings have religious names.

**BatmansImpala**: How many siblings do you have?

**CNOV**: 2 older brothers and 1 older sister.

**BatmansImpala**: wow must be pretty hard to feed all those mouths.

**CNOV**: My fathers job pays well.

**BatmansImpala**: what does he do for a living?

**CNOV**: He writes books, New York Best Sellers actually.

**BatmansImpala**: Cool

**CNOV**: I suppose. What does your father do?

**BatmansImpala**: He can't work. I do.

**CNOV**: Oh, whats your job?

**BatmansImpala**: I fix cars with my Uncle.

**CNOV**: Sounds strenuous, do you attend school?

**BatmansImpala**: No I dropped out

**CNOV**: Why?

**BatmansImpala**: My dad couldn't work anymore, someone had to be bringing in money.

**CNOV**: is it just you and your father?

**BatmansImpala**: No my younger brother Sam lives with us too.

**CNOV**: Interesting, do you enjoy being an older brother?

**BatmansImpala**: I mean yeah I guess so. Its my job to look after Sammy, it always has been.

**CNOV**: Thats a very selfless thing to say Dean. Who looks after you?

**BatmansImpala**: I do.

**CNOV**: thats a lot of weight upon your own shoulders Dean.

**CNOV**: I have to go, I will talk to you again soon. Goodnight.

Dean sat, slumped in his chair rereading each word. Who was this kid? And why was Dean telling him the real answers to his invasive questions? Dean always lied to strangers about his home life but really what harm could come from telling the truth to some kid online? Dean shutdown the laptop and laid in bed thinking about Castiel and his message that they would speak again.

The week dredged on for Dean with an impossibly large number of cars that needed repairs before any winter weather hit. When he got home from work Sam needed help with studying for his midterms that were fast approaching; everything ended up making his body feel run down and left an ache in his neck that couldn't seem to be kicked by the regular advil he took. Laying down in his bed, computer resting upon his pillow Dean planned on listening to some music and sketching out some new tattoo ideas when the little noised dinged off from his computer as if it had been waiting all week for another message.

**CNOV**: Hello Dean, how has your day been going?

**BatmansImpala:** It was long

**CNOV**: What sort of things did you do?

**BatmansImpala**: Worked overtime, then came home and did my normal routine with

Sammy. What have you been up to all week?

**CNOV**: School and midterms mostly. Both have been dreadful and dull.

**BatmansImpala**: Now are the times when I don't miss school at all. Drawn anything lately?

**CNOV**: Unfortunately no. My mother has confiscated all art supplies until after my midterms.

**BatmansImpala**: That sucks man. Seems pretty unfair if you ask me Cas.

**CNOV**: Cas?

**BatmansImpala**: Well yea, your name is sorta long so I shortened it, like a nickname, hope ya don't mind

**CNOV**: No one has ever given me a nickname aside from my siblings.

**BatmansImpala**: What do they call you?

**CNOV**: Cassie and it infuriates me.

**BatmansImpala**: Geez thank god my name can't be given a nickname

**CNOV**: Deanie, Deanella, Deanne, Dean the Bean, Dean is Mean, Mean Dean, Lean Dean. Really the combinations are endless if you try hard enough.

**BatmansImpala**: ….I stand corrected

**CNOV**: I suppose you do.

**CNOV**: Dean I have a question for you to answer.

**BatmansImpala**: Alright shoot

**CNOV**: Do you enjoy speaking with me?

**BatmansImpala**: Yeah Cas you are cool

**CNOV**: And would you like to do it on a more regular basis?

**BatmansImpala**: If you want to sure

**CNOV**: I enjoy speaking with you as well Dean, would you like my phone number so we

may text?

**BatmansImpala**: Sounds great man, I will text you in a bit

**CNOV**: Alright, talk to you soon Dean.

Dean sat smiling, computer now resting in his lap as he sprawled over his bed. He was going to text him. As soon as the number popped up on Dean's screen he saved it into his phone and decided to send his new friend a message.

Dean: Hey man, it's Dean. It's around 10 here so I gotta head to bed but will text you in the morning ttyt :)

The grin that crossed over Dean's face as he closed his eyes to sleep was the first one that seemed genuine in a long time.

Every break Dean got, every free period Castiel had, every morning, every night for the next two months a message sat waiting. Dean found out the best and worst of Castiel, found comfort in his voice when he found the world too hard to handle, learned his likes and dislikes, they quickly became eachothers best friends and nothing really came between them until mid January when one message cause the strangest sensation to ignite in Dean.

Cas: Dean! Dean! Guess what I found out this afternoon!

Dean: What? Must be pretty big if you are this excited. Wait, wait, let me guess, this years dictionary was freshly printed and dropped at your doorstep?

Cas: Very funny Dean. But wrong you are.

Dean: Alright well I used my best guess, fill me in on what's so exciting in the world of Castiel James Novak

Cas: Well I informed you about the upcoming Valentines Day dance my school is holding and you know that girl Meg Masters I mentioned a few weeks back?

Dean: The girl with the cheap looking black hair with feathers clipped in and wears too much black eyeliner? The one you said hates your guts? That Meg Masters?

Cas: It appears she does not hate my guts, but instead asked me to the dance! She wants me to go with her Dean isn't that great!

Dean set his phone down and walked out of his room without replying eagerly to Castiel. Without thinking he walked straight into Sam's room and sat on his bed, avoiding eye contact.

"Dean? You okay?" Sam looked up uneasy from his textbook, curious to see what had caused his brothers odd behavior.

"No." Dean muttered under his breathe

"Is it something with Charlie? Lisa?" Dean shook his head at each name, still unable to look at Sam

"...Is it Cas?" His voice was tentative

"He is going to a dance...with Meg Masters."

"Thats good Dean, you said he didn't have a lot of friends so isn't this a good thing?"

"No! I mean yes but god Sam why her? She doesn't even like him!" Dean sprung to his feet, pacing rapidly, biting his already gone nails

"How do you know?"

"Well.." Dean stopped for a moment "I just know okay! He has only mentioned her once before and he was shit talking her for christs sake! You can't go from hating someone to loving someone! It takes time and months of talking!-"

"Woah Woah Woah Dean calm down! Just because he is going to the dance with her doesn't mean he loves her in any way. It's one dance, you have been to plenty with girls you didn't even like."

Dean huffed dramatically and plunged onto Sam's bed once more.

"Maybe you are right…. it's just one dance. Cas probably doesn't even know how to dance, hell he probably won't even like the music if it isn't Mozart or some dead guy. He will go, have a crappy time, bitch to me about it and we both will move on from it. Nothing to worry about right Sammy?"

"Right Dean. Now leave so I can finish my homework without your jealous energy filling the room."

"Jealous?" Dean said as Sam slammed the door behind him

Was he really jealous of Meg? Why would he even be jealous? Sam doesn't know what he is talking about.

Castiel hadn't heard from Dean for the rest of the day and he couldn't hide that he was worried. Dean had grown to be his comfort blanket, his go to person to speak with when things troubled his ever racing mind. Had he said something inappropriate? Impossible, he had reread the conversation 10 times thoroughly and nothing was odd except for Dean's startled and disgruntled reaction to the news of Meg asking him to the dance. Was that the problem? But why would Dean ever be upset about that?

With a heavy sigh Castiel sat up and rubbed his head, glancing at his clock. Only 8:30 on a Saturday that he had no plans for. Grabbing his sketch pad, pencils and water colors he began to draw and he didn't stop until 3 in the afternoon when his phone finally buzzed. Eagerly he swiped it open but no text from Dean awaited him, only one from Meg asking if he was interested in hanging out with her and her friends tonight so everyone could get acquainted. A groan escaped his chapped lips but he agreed, seeing the logic behind her proposal. Castiel could have a good time with or without talking to Dean.

Dean had waited all day, praying Cas would reach out to him but when 8pm had rolled around and the sound of string instruments that was Cas' personal ringtone never chimed he gave up and turned into bed early. Why did he have a hollow feeling in his chest? Was this guilt? Was he feeling guilty for the way he had ignored Castiel and didn't act like a true friend should in a happy situation? Dean didn't have the answers and he didn't want his feelings to be acknowledged. Maybe it was a good thing that Cas never texted. Maybe Dean needed this wake up call to highlight his dependence and how damaging it was. And when he found no answers in his thoughts he closed his eyes and chose the emptiness of dreams over the empty feeling in his chest.

His eye lids snapped open quickly as he scrambled for his phone, answering the phone without a second thought to see who was calling. The sound of giggling girls filled the background as the rough voice filtered through the phone.

"Dean! Deanie are ya there?"

Dean held the phone away from his ear in disgust. He knew the sound of a drunk and Cas was hammered. Since when did Cas drink? Since when did Cas drink with girls?

"Castiel?" Dean could hear the tension in his own voice

"Deaaaannn! Why won't you talk to me?" Castiel sounded as if he was going to both laugh and burst into tears

"I got really busy today. I'm sorry. I will text you first thing in the morning but we both need to sleep right now Cas." Dean handled Cas just as he use to handle his father; just try to appease them, don't confront them.

"Dean"

"What is it Cas"

"Why do you hate me?"

"You know thats not true." He grounded

"Meg says you hate me."

"Meg doesn't know me like you do."

"Why don't we ever hang out then?" Castiel hollered through the phone

"Because I live in Kansas! You know I want to hang out with you but it is impossible!"

In the distance he could hear a girl, probably Meg saying something to Cas and suddenly the line was dead. Dean let a violent scream pass through him and he pushed himself up out of bed and slammed open his bedroom door and stormed outside, phone in hand. Dialling quickly Charlie was on the other end of the phone within seconds.

"Dean? What the hell are you doing up this late?" Heavy rock music was muffled in the background of the call

"Charlie you need to come to my place for a while. I gotta talk to you about something. Something big."

"How big?"

"Death Star big."


End file.
